L.A. to decide whether to stay the course with Mayor Bass or vote for change with Raman

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Set us as preferred It started with the February surprise.Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman, a wonkish technocrat aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America, upended the race for mayor by launching a last-minute bid to unseat incumbent Karen Bass.Bass, politically weakened over her handling of the devastating Palisades fire, has been on the defensive ever since.Yet she has remained in the fight, promoting her accomplishments on crime and affordable housing while amplifying the missteps made by Raman during the campaign’s final weeks.The two candidates are in a dead heat, according to the latest Berkeley IGS/L.A.

Times poll, with a fifth of those surveyed still undecided.“The question that the race comes down to, especially for undecided voters, is whether to stick with an unsatisfying status quo, or take the risk with a relatively unknown quantity who could make things better or worse,” said Dan Schnur, who teaches political communications at USC and UC Berkeley.The battle between Bass and Raman ends Tuesday, concluding a bitter nine-month contest between two candidates who were once political allies.Bass, 73, backed Raman during a tough reelection bid in 2024.

Raman, 45, publicly endorsed Bass in January, only to renege weeks later.Now, in the campaign’s final days, both have been telling voters in vivid detail about the other’s shortcomings, spreading their messages in hard-hitting ads and at bluntly worded news conferences.Raman has portrayed Bass as a weak and ineffective leader, pointing to her handling of the Palisades fire, the homelessness crisis and the city’s ongoing struggle to deliver basic services.She highlighted the city’s battered streets and sidewalks, pinning the problem on poor management and bad financial choices.“From the biggest projects to the most basic services, the h...